Burial-casket.



5o and out of position.

UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP n nRBoLD, JR.,.oF GALION, oHIo.

BURIAL-GASKET.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters llatentV Nc. 658,261, dated September 118, 1900.

Application filed August 9, 1900.

To a/Zl whom, trinity concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP HERBOLD, Jr., residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have made certain .new and useful Improvements in Burial-Gaskets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvementin burialcaskets, and provides an improved form of casket which will present a neat and elegant appearance, into which a corpse can be con# veniently placed, and which Will include a receptacle for the cap or lid of the casket, so the latter can be placed out of the way and out of sight until it is desired for use.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the casket with the hinged side lowered and the cap or lid fitted in the recess formed to receive it. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the casket closed, indicatingin dotted lines the cap or lid fitted in the recess; and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the false bottom with the side rail thereon.

The casket A may be constructed of any suitable material and any general design to suit the trade and can be finished and lined to suit the wishes of the purchasers. The distinctive feature of my improvement is the means whereby the cap or lid B Inay be incased and held out of sight until ready for use. In carrying out this feature of my invention I form the casket with a bottom C, ends D, and one side E, fixed together in the relation shown in thedrawings. The side F, opposite the side E, isl hinged at its lower edge to the outer edge of the bottom C, so it can be lowered to the position shown until it is desired to close the casket. Upon the bottom C, along the lower edges of the ends I) and the side E, I secure cleats G, which support a false bottom H, which is spaced apart from the bottom C suiiciently far to form a receptacle for the cap or lid B, which can be slipped -edgewise into such receptacle, and so supported out of the way until it is desired for use. I prefer to provide on the bottom C rails C, on which the cap or lid slides into As the space within the casket below the false bottom H is contracted Serial No. 26,398. `\No model.)

lby the cleats G, I provide the ends D and sides of the casket with inwardly-projecting flanges I, which exceedin thickness the cleats G and form rests for the cap or lid when the latter is applied to close the casket. At the edge of the false bottom H, opposite the side E of the casket, I provide an upwardly-projecting rail or board H', which hides from View the lower portion of the body of the corpse from end to end, and thus excludes from view any arrangements that may be made of the apparel of the corpse, and so avoids any objection whatever that might be made to a casket having an open side. This side rail H also gives anice finish to the casket and improves its general appearance when open to fully expose the corpse to view.

In operation the hinged side or drop-front F may be secured when the casket is closed by any suitable form of fastening. When this side F is lowered, the cap or lid of the casket may be slipped edgewise into the space formed to receive it, and will thus be protected until ready for use and maintained in a position convenient for the operator to withdraw and apply it to close the casket.

The opening at the side of the casket leading into the space for the cap or lid may be suitably hidden by the trimming of the casket, as will be understood from the drawings.

The false-bottom construction produces an air-chamber below the corpse and operates to raise the latter from any slight collection of Water in the bottom of the grave.

The side rail' H', in addition to its functions 4 before described, operates to strengthen the casket at the open side.

By the described invention I avoid the necessity of ornamenting the cap or lid to such an extent as is now generally practiced, and so reduce the cost, and the use of the invention avoids the common objection incident to the placing of the lid or top of the casket against the wall or on the iioor under the casket.

Having thus Adescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The burialcasket having a bottom,cleats thereon, a false bottom secured on said cleats over the true bottom, and a hinged side ar- IOO ranged for adjustment to expose the space betweenthe bottom and the false'bottom when not in use, substantially as set forth.

2. A burialcasket comprising a bottom, rails extending transversely on the upper side of said bottom, a side and two ends xed in relation to said bottom, a false bottom above the said bottom and fixed in relation thereto, cleats between the bottom and the false bottom and supporting the latter, the iXed side and ends being provided near their upper edges with inwardly-projecting anges eX- ceeding in Width or thickness the cleats for supporting` the false bottom, the cap or lid fitted to rest upon said ianges and to be in-' cased in the space between the bottom and the false bottom, and the hinged side arranged to expose such space, substantially as set forth.

3. A burial-casket provid ed upon its bottom with a false bottom producing a recess adapted to incase the cap or lid and having a hinged side to expose such recess, the false bottom being provided above the open side of the recess with an upwardly-,proj ectin g side board or rail, substantially as set forth.

4. A burial-casket provided with a bottom and a'false bottom spaced therefrom to forni a recess for the cap or lid of thecasket and having a side adjustable into position to eX- pose such recess or to cover the same as may be desired, substantially as set forth.

5. The herein-described burial-casket having a bottom, a side and tWo ends iXed in relation to the bottom, a false bottom above and spaced apart from the bottom forming a recess for the cap or lid, the cap or lid fitted to be incased in said recess, and a side hinged to the bottom and adjustable to positions to cover or expose the opening to the cap or lid containing the recess, substantially as set forth.

PHILIP HERBOLD, Jn. Witnesses:

J. P. WHALEN, J. Gr.` HERBOLD. 

